Sep 8, 2026

US12729935 - Viewing instrument

The invention relates to a viewing instrument ( 1 ) for observing the surroundings and aiming at targets in the surroundings of a vehicle, in particular an armored vehicle, comprising an eyepiece unit ( 2 ) and an objective unit ( 3 ) and comprising an optical waveguide bundle ( 4 ), which connects the objective unit ( 3 ) and the eyepiece unit ( 2 ) to each other, a drive device ( 5 ), which moves a lens system ( 6 ) of the objective unit ( 3 ) along the optical axis, specifically between two or more positions, every one of which being assigned to a different field of view setting, wherein the drive device ( 5 ) comprises a force transmission means ( 7 ) which connects the eyepiece unit ( 2 ) to the objective unit ( 3 ) and transmits a manual adjustment force from the eyepiece unit ( 2 ) to the objective unit ( 3 ).

Assignee: Nedinsco B.V.
Inventors: Marie Martinus Johannes Cornelis Engels
Filing date: 2020-01-14

viewinginstrumentopticsmilitary

The patent describes a viewing instrument designed for armored vehicles, featuring an eyepiece and objective unit connected by an optical waveguide bundle. It includes a drive device that adjusts the lens system’s position along the optical axis to change the field of view, utilizing a Bowden cable for manual adjustments.

Claim 1

1 . Viewing instrument for observing the surroundings and aiming at targets in the surroundings of a vehicle, in particular an armored vehicle, comprising an eyepiece unit and an objective unit and comprising an optical waveguide bundle, which connects the objective unit and the eyepiece unit to each other, further comprising a drive device, which moves a lens system of the objective unit along an optical axis, specifically between two or more positions, every one of which being assigned to a different field of view setting, wherein the drive device comprises a flexible force transmission means which connects the eyepiece unit to the objective unit and transmits a manual adjustment force from the eyepiece unit to the objective unit, wherein the force transmission means is a Bowden cable which transmits the adjustment force as a tensile force, the drive device comprises a gear connected to the Bowden cable wherein the gear converts the transmitted tensile force, and wherein the gear comprises a gear wheel which is connected to a pulley of the Bowden cable, and a gear rack formed on an adjustable slide wherein the actuation of the Bowden cable sets the gear wheel in rotation and effects a movement of the adjustable slide via the engagement of the gear wheel and gear rack.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12729935

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12729935